I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to materials handling apparatus, and more particularly to a conveyor system for aligning products in a serial, head-to-tail orientation as the products are moved along the conveyor assembly.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the preparation of many manufactured items for sale, the products in question are to be wrapped in individual film or paper wrappers and, in this regard, high speed horizontal wrapping machines are often employed. These machines receive product between spaced lugs on an infeed chain and carry the products in timed relation into a film former where a continuous tube is made to surround the products. Following that, they flow past a transverse, cut/seal head whose rotation is timed such that the cut/seal blades fall into the space between adjacent products. An example of such a horizontal wrapper is shown in the Eaves et al Patent 4,574,566. So that the product will arrive at the high-speed wrapper in a desired spaced relationship relative to the flights of the pusher lugs on the wrapper's infeed conveyor chain, where the products are not perfectly symmetrical, it is important that they be appropriately aligned in advance of reaching the wrapper's infeed conveyor. When it is considered that many products exit a production machine in a random, unaligned order, it is necessary that a means be provided for appropriately aligning oblong objects before they are timed for entry into the wrapper's infeed conveyor.
In the past, it has been the practice to use stationary surfaces disposed in the path of travel of the products in an attempt to funnel or guide the products into a single file orientation. Specifically, a vertical wall surface is disposed in the path of the conveyor at a predetermined angle to the direction of flow so that as the product comes into contact with this angled wall, they will be diverted to a more narrow opening and carried beyond it by the moving belt. A principal drawback of this approach centers on the fact that if more than one product reaches the opening at a given time, it will become clogged and jammed, resulting in potential damage to the product and the necessity of shutting the system down to clear the jam. To obviate jamming, it is also known that a plurality of endless belts trained about rollers journaled for rotation about vertical axes and disposed diagonally to the path of travel of the product can be used. However, this arrangement requires more floor space, is somewhat more expensive and has excessive rubbing contact with the product.
The Crawford et al Patent 4,311,230 describes a system for advancing products in serial order to the flighted infeed chain of a high-speed wrapper. The implementation shown in that patent is distinctly different and far more complicated in its makeup than the product alignment device of the instant invention.
The Lenherr Patent 4,720,006 describes another moving belt product orienting system in which belt speed differentials are used to rotate a product by 90.degree.. It does not appear suitable for handling randomly organized products exiting the conveyor belt 2 thereof.
Thus a need exists for a system capable of receiving products in a random orientation and for aligning those products, single file, on a moving conveyor. It is the principal object of the present invention to supply that need.